Thinking of giving up : Meat Rabbits

Rabbits for profit… Rabbits for fun… Rabbits for just about everyone…

RabbitTalk.com has a new visual style and some new features!It's a big change, and it'll take a bit for everybodyto get used to, but we hope you will love it!

RabbitTalk has changed hosts.The amazing response to our recent donation campaign hasallowed us a significant upgrade to the type of hosting we can purchase.The new server is performing wonderfully so far!Thank you to all who have helped!

RabbitTalk Blogs are reinstated.We now have sufficient resources to continue providing our member blogs.We apologize for the brief interruption in service while we moved.

I been thinking of just giving up on the meat rabbit thing. I wanted to create a line of Hotots with better body type but am really considering just not doing it. I am not sure I can take the death. I am a bit of a sensitive soul and the autism and anxiety does not help. I could just send the culls to a cull buyer or a local sale barn. There is also a processor half a state away that I could use as well. However my life is changing for the better. I may move out with my boyfriend this next year and who knows he might be my fiance here soon. He supports my rabbit raising but I may need to lower my numbers for awhile so my dad can care for them. I don't know I hate to start my project and have to give it up later. Or find out I cannot handle it. May just need to stick with my Belgian Hares and my wooler/pet Angoras.

Really been obsessing about this lately so thought if anyone has any thoughts on the subject it might help. I don't think many people are going to understand my problem.

No, I'm sure many will understand. Dont take it as a failure, some times we think we can but we just cant and its better to stop then make ourselves sick over it. If you cant handle the butchering, then dont raise for butchering or find someone to do that part for you. I think your hotot project was still in its beginning right? if so, you wont lose much dropping it, if life allows you to pick it up again later then you just start over then. Dont worry too much over it.

Definitely don't do too many projects at once! Easier said then done, I am constantly starting new projects (small and big) when I really just need to work on what I'm already doing. And it's really hard to let it go Belgian Hares are a big project of thier own, nobody who had tried to raise several difficult or rare breeds at one time is going to blame you for finding what you can easily handle and sticking with it. Even if it means dropping a project or two. It is going to be my own fault if my dreams of adding Belgian Hares to my already crazy rabbitry come true though It is really hard to let go, but I can attest after you are finally free from a breed it feels good somehow. You only have your favorites, chores don't take as long, in my case extra cage space if your moving though less rabbits to move. I get that its really hard, just do it though. And don't think of it as you failed, because you didn't!

Ozarkansas Rabbits and Cavies Raising quality purebred Beveren, Dutch, English Spot, Holland Lop, and Tan rabbits. As well as White Crested cavies. Primarily for show in NW Arkansas. htpp://www.ozarkansasrabbits.com

Yeah, the death part was something that effected me significantly. I also think it has something to do with why Cindy and Tom stopped the rabbitry. I did have to move, but I think that that rabbit death was harder on Cindy than chicken death.

One thing that I did effect me more than I thought it would was the way I held the dead rabbits. I found that it was best for me to carry a dead rabbit by holding it upside-down by the hind legs. I think this was subconscious reminder that I was no longer dealing with a living animal. Because I would not hold a live animal in this way, it reinforced the fact that the creature was dead.

When I killed the rabbit prior to the last rabbit (I killed), I carried the body similar to the way I would hold a dead pet. In retrospect, I believe this was a mistake. I also have to remind myself not to fret over the dead body too long. It is best to start skinning soon.

You could have someone else process the rabbits, however when I did the dispatchment, I did have a pride that I could kill the rabbit is a way to cause the least amount of stress to the rabbit. If someone else did it I would worry that the rabbits could suffer.

You have to do the most good for the most. You most remember that a few will won't make it. Don't be ashamed to shed a tear for the ones lost along the way, we will not hold it against you. Just remember "the herd goes on".

Sometimes we need to take a hiatus from various things in our lives.Doesn't make it any easier...but we all go thru it to different degrees.We did take a break from our rabbit passion when the demands of Everyday Real Life got to be more that we could juggle... and the livestock were no longer fun. We came back to rabbits after retiring... and were able to reconnect with others in the hobby and get nice stock for a restart. Nice thing is that Rabbits are still available... and we have not lost the basic knowledge we had...so it was a bit easier to get back up to speed.

Thanks everyone for being understanding. I posted in my local clubs Facebook page about finding a processor or some help in butchering. To see if that was an option. I have two people willing to help or do it for me. So I am considering going ahead and starting my project. Since I have plenty of options if I am not up to it myself. I can cull it's just very hard on me and sometimes I don't need that stress if I can help it. So we will see I am going to think on it for a week before making my final decision.